Rogers Sugar Building Losing its View

Carlito Pablo in the Georgia Straight reports on the expansion of the Vancouver waterfront container terminal owned by Port Vancouver. Just as in Deltaport, this proposed expansion is not in the City’s jurisdiction. Imagine-the Port is going to build an overpass at Centennial Road to “improve traffic flow on the port roadway for vehicles accessing Centerm by separating road and rail interactions,” the document stated. “This reduces delays to vehicles on port roadways as a result of rail blockages.”

Never mind that this new overpass completely blocks and obscures the lower floors and windows of one of the most iconic industrial buildings-The Rogers Sugar building facade, located at 123 Rogers Street.

This six storey warehouse is still in use, producing 240,000 tons of sugar products annually. This red brick structure was built in the 1920’s and has great significance as a primary industrial structure in an early growing Vancouver.

Viewed from the Powell Street overpass, the Rogers Sugar warehouse is one of the iconic views eastwards of the Vancouver waterfront.

So here’s the thing-is the smooth access of vehicles more important than the eastern view of this important building which plays a central part in the industrial development in Vancouver? And if the Port is determined to turn a hundred hectares of agricultural land in Richmond into port warehousing under the guise of federal jurisdiction, do they have any remote interest in protecting one of the most iconic waterfront views from the downtown?

The port authority should be holding more public consultations regarding their terminal expansion this year. For them it appears to be all business as usual.

The photo below shows the impact of the proposed overpass on the Rogers Sugar building facade.

The answer to your question is yes. The smooth access of vehicles to the port IS more important than the fleeting view most people have of the sugar refinery while driving across the Powell Street overpass. Besides, most of the building is still visible in the rendering you provided.

This is an active port. It’s one of the most important economic engines of the city and is pretty much Vancouver’s raison d’être. While the preservation of views and heritage is admirable, and the ALR important, I think we need to take the importance of supporting the expansion of the port into perspective here.

To answer your question, “Is the smooth access of vehicles more important than the eastern view of this important building which plays a central part in the industrial development in Vancouver?” – In this context, yes, it is.

This is a working port; one of the largest in North America. It’s not a museum or an aesthetic centrepiece that exists solely for us to lovingly gaze upon and smile. The building will continue to function as it always has. It will just be somewhat obscured. Saving millions of dollars a year in dead mileage for one our most critical pieces of infrastructure is more important than preserving a pretty picture – in this context. My two cents.

Still though, Dan, you have to admit the BC Sugar Refinery building provides an odd fascination, kinda like the Satanic mills of Dickensian Manchester. It’s supremely photogenic, but less so now with the New Viaducts.

No question. It is an attractive old building soon to be blocked and shaken to hell by a damned ugly road carrying 1,000 trucks/day. But in this case the aesthetic considerations are of less importance. Hopefully it’s still there when the road comes down in 40 years’ time, but with the ceaseless vibrations from 300 thousand+ trucks/year, its days are probably numbered.

Sandy, the Port told the Heritage Commission on Monday that the reason for the entire multi-million dollar elevated roadway was a pinch point at the western end of the warehouse building — the near end in the photo you have. The tracks in the shunting yard make the roadway too narrow there, so this entire elaborate structure is to cantilever the roadway over the northmost track at that point (there is no increased road capacity). The Heritage Commission suggested that the tracks could be slightly realigned and moved closer to the Powell Street overpass — note the amount of vacant space between the tracks and the overpass in the picture. Millions could be saved? The Port engineer promised to look at it.

Michael – kudos to the Heritage Commission, which is doing great work for the citizens who care about such things. This sounds promising. Does this alternative mean no new “viaduct” there would be required at all, or just in a less visually destructive location?

The “vehicles” that will get preference overwhelmingly are trucks providing goods movement, which has a higher priority than private vehicles in the city’s transportation policy. It’s misleading to ignore that important distinction.

IMHO, Vancouver is blessed to still have a working port on its waterfront. Most world cities have relegated muscular international trade facilities to distant shorelines. We drove three hours from Shanghai’s downtown to see its new port.

As for visual impacts, I can hear the screams now if the port’s iconic cargo cranes were to be removed. They are the symbols of Canada’s trade connection to Asia. Lose them, and we forget why this city even exists.

From the platform alongside Waterfront Station you can see mountains and water; industrial might and (the potential for) public spaces; the transportation connections to the region, the province and the world; the city old and new. Show me another city that can compete with that!

Don’t like the notion of Vancouver as a resort city only for the rich? Then preserve a balanced economy, and image, that doesn’t only favour tourism.